


I Hate Valentine's Day

by nightvesper



Category: Big Wolf on Campus
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Oblivious Merton, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 19:18:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13794471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightvesper/pseuds/nightvesper
Summary: Merton hates Valentine's Day. Tommy tries to convince him of its merits.





	I Hate Valentine's Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_March_Hatter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_March_Hatter/gifts).



> Translation to Russian available from Lunar+the+tramp: https://ficbook.net/readfic/7157368a

“I hate Valentine’s Day.”  Merton glared at a large paper heart taped to his locker. He crushed it into a ball with his hands and threw it on the floor next to him.

Tommy swooped down to pick up the crumpled heart and began smoothing it out.  “Come on, man. What’s your problem with Valentine’s Day?”

Merton tensed in irritation. “It’s asinine!” he declared, gesturing at the hallway which was now covered in a sea of hearts, jolly cupids, and red streamers. “Everyone freaks out about this totally arbitrary day commemorating a Chicago massacre and the beheading of a saint, and pretends it’s romantic. But even that aspect is so pointlessly consumerist as to render it utterly meaningless!”

Tommy smirked, leaning into Merton's space and squeezing his shoulder. “So you hate it ‘cause you’re single?”

“No!” argued the goth, clearly offended, “It’s because…” his voice trailed off when he caught sight of Tommy’s raised eyebrow. The werewolf always had a way of seeing right through him. Merton’s eyes cast downward. “Well, yeah…”

 

*********

 

"So, what is your plan then, Mert?"

"I figured I'd go to the video store, maybe rent Carrie again. Bury my loneliness and resentment into a revenge fantasy.”

"You don't have to be alone, you know," Tommy said, idly picking at loose thread on his sweatshirt. "We could check out whatever's showing at the Rialto." Stealing a glance over at a group of girls down the hallway, Tommy's brow furrowed and he lowered his voice when one of them looked over towards them. "We could go out together."

Merton rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't you rather find some girl to spend an afternoon with? What about them?" he asked sarcastically, gesturing over at the girls Tommy was ignoring.

Tommy's eyes turned to him and he frowned. Merton got the distinct impression he'd said something wrong. He could indulge Tommy for one day. "I, uh... A movie sounds nice. Then afterward we could go back to my place and order pizza?"

A bright smile replaced Tommy's dour expression. "Sounds perfect."

 

*****

 

"I should change before we go."

Merton glanced at Tommy's attire. He was wearing his usual blue jeans, sneakers, and sweatshirt.

"Why? Don't you want to just go straight there? We'd only have to wait like," Merton paused, checking his watch for the time, "an hour and a half. No sense driving home and then all the way back."

Tommy looked vaguely uncomfortable. "I should wear something else."

Merton frowned. “Yeah fine. I’ll meet you there then.”

“No I’ll – I’ll pick you up.”

“Tommy, you _never_ drive.”

The werewolf shifted his weight over to his other foot. “I want to. I’ll come get you in forty-five minutes?”

Merton couldn't even begin to figure out what Tommy was thinking and he was too exasperated at this point to really care. “Yeah, fine, whatever. Forty-five minutes.”

 

*****

 

Merton took in the sight of the werewolf as he stepped out of his dad’s jeep. Tommy was wearing a suit. The same suit he wore for senior photos, in fact. It was grey and plain, but somehow striking in its own right. The only difference was before it had been ill-fitting, slightly too large for the quarterback's frame, and now it fit perfectly, emphasizing the broad shoulders and more muscular physique he'd gained during the past year.

"A suit?!" Merton blurted out, nose wrinkling. "That's what you had to change into?"

A blush crept over Tommy's cheeks, and he smoothed the front of his suit-jacket with his hand self-consciously. "You don't like it?"

Merton was dumbfounded. As for liking it, well, of course he did. No one could fill out a suit quite like Tommy Dawkins. His brow furrowed as he caught the expression of dismay on his best friend's face. "Uh. I- I do. Like it, I mean. You look nice. I just didn't think you'd want to go to the Rialto in a suit. It'll wrinkle up after two hours of sitting in cramped theater chairs."

Some of the tension left the werewolf's face and he let out a sigh, his posture relaxing. "Oh. I'll just take the jacket off during the movie then."

 

*****

 

This was by far the worst theatrical experience Merton had ever had. The kid behind him kept kicking his chair, the projector was out of focus, the speaker was crackling, and surrounding them on all sides were _couples_. Disgustingly happy couples making out and not even paying attention to the movie they’d all payed money to see. It was frustrating and distracting as hell. He realized Tommy seemed to feel the same as he did about the ordeal. The werewolf was antsy, glancing with apprehension at Merton approximately every ten seconds.

A shaking hand moved to cover Merton’s knee. Merton turned to Tommy in surprise, but this time Tommy just stared ahead at the screen and swallowed, his eyes glowing faintly yellow even as they reflected the light of the movie. Merton instinctively covered the hand with his own, slowly rubbing circles over Tommy’s knuckles. He didn’t understand what part of this was threatening to wolf his friend out, but he did his best to soothe the other man and prevent his transformation.

 

*****

 

Merton's mouth dropped open. "W- was this supposed to be a date?"

Tommy looked at him like he’d grown an extra head. "I _asked_ you if you wanted to go out."

Merton stood wide-eyed, his head shaking in the negative. "But I thought you meant _go_ out, not go _out_. Like you just wanted out of the house," he exclaimed, gesturing at the basement door.

"So you never wanted to...I thought I was reading you right. Like, man, I've _seen_ you check out guys. You don't hide it. I know you're... I just thought that we had something, I... God, I'm such an idiot." Tommy's head fell into his hands.

Merton's head was reeling too fast to form a coherent response. Tommy knew he liked guys? Tommy asked him on a date? This was a _date_? They 'had something'?

Merton was so lost in thought he nearly missed the _"I should go"_ whispered under the werewolf's breath. Merton quickly snapped back into reality. "Wait, no! Please!" Merton grabbed Tommy by the shoulder and turned him around. He caught the barest glint of yellow in Tommy's fearful eyes. “Stay. We need to talk.”

 

*****

 

“I thought you hated Valentine’s Day,” Tommy whispered breathlessly, gently brushing their lips back together.

Merton grinned against his mouth, pulling Tommy closer against him. “Not this year.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The_March_Hatter gifted me a very adorable gothicwolf fluffy story, so I had to return the favor! Hopefully it's to your liking. Go check out her stuff!


End file.
